Topeka ? Wearing her mother’s dress and with her husband’s favorite band on hand, Kathleen Sebelius spent her first evening as governor mingling with supporters at Monday night’s inaugural dinner and dance.

About 2,000 people sat elbow-to-elbow at the sold-out dinner in the Kansas Expocentre. Tickets were $65.

“Somehow we got tickets. We’re lucky,” said Janice Huston of Americus, who attended with her husband, Gene.

The after-dinner dance, a tradition for new governors, began with slow songs, including “Summertime,” from “Porgy and Bess.” Sebelius danced with her husband, Gary.

Among those on hand for the festivities was Sebelius’ father, John Gilligan, who was certain to recognize his daughter’s gown: It had been designed for his late wife, Katie, who wore it for his inauguration when he served as governor of Ohio in 1971-75.

The sleeveless cream-colored gown and matching taffeta coat, with pink Chinese silk linings, had been packed away until Sebelius’ sister, Ellen, found them and suggested she wear them.

Their mother, who died in 1996, was 3 to 4 inches shorter than her daughter, so alterations were needed to the gown, which featured lapels and a collar studded with rhinestones and pearls entwined in silver.

Sebelius and her father are the only father-daughter gubernatorial team in the nation.

Gilligan recalled a time when his daughter chided him and asserted strong political opinions.

“She used to wear a T-shirt around the house — this was the ’70s, remember — it said ‘When God created man, she was only kidding,'” he said.

Master of ceremonies Bill Kurtis asked Gilligan if he was having a better time at his daughter’s inauguration than his own; Gilligan replied yes.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe attended the festivities, the first time in 66 years a DNC chairman has attended a Kansas inaugural ball.

“We’re going to use her as a spokeswoman. She’s a great woman. I have very high hopes and plans for her,” McAuliffe said.

Music was provided by the Fabulous Flippers, a rhythm-and-blues group that played throughout the Midwest in the 1960s. Gary Sebelius has been a fan of the group since he was a teenager.

The Kansas State Historical Society helped with preparations for the gala, which organizers designed to highlight Kansas cuisine and history.

Trivia questions flashed on three giant screens, along with paintings and photos of Kansas and a giant star and the state’s motto: Ad Astra Per Aspera — To the stars through difficulty.